Cloudy messages
As the windshield wipers swept a clear arc across the windshield of my car, I glimpsed through the rain an untidy scrawl on the limestone wall.
In bright red and green, someone had splashed a date and a slogan on the wall of the Kansas School of Religion: "Oct. 15. Remember Peace?" The "O" of Oct. had been converted into a peace symbol.
The media and the intended message were sadly incongruent.
What moral and ethical immaturity would cause such actions? I asked myself. Surely the scribbler was unaware of that school's planned response to the Oct. 15 Moratorium. The religion class in which I am enrolled will be dismissed Wednesday: the professor strongly urged us to participate in various discussions of the Vietnam war. He mentioned a lecture being held in the school's own auditorium Wednesday morning.
Or perhaps the scribbler was not a Moratorium supporter, but a detractor who wishes to cast a bad light on those who favor the class boycotts and accompanying activities.
If so, he certainly succeeded.
The rights of property have been over-emphasized in materialistic America, and many on the New Left decry a public and private morality which places the value of land, buildings or
possessions above the worth of human life. During the May 9 ROTC Review disruption last spring, an iron gate was broken by a few of the demonstrators. Judging from public response, this seems to have been one of the more heinous crimes of the day.
"But what is the value of a gate compared to the value of the human lives being taken each day in Vietnam?" the demonstrators responded.
And they are correct. Earthly treasures get rusty and moth-eaten. And if our treasures consist of gates and limestone buildings, that is where our hearts will be also.
There is no sense, however, in destroying or defacing material objects to prove that they have no grip on us. Each object is the creation of one or several human beings and as such should be respected. The handiwork of man must be used fittingly. A respect for humanity implies a respect for that which humanity creates to make life more beautiful or useful.
I drove again later in the day past the Kansas School of Religion. The stained glass windows shone through the misty gloom of a Sunday evening. It had rained most of the afternoon, and the scrawled slogans on the wall were dripping downwards.
Joanna K. Wiebe
Senators urge support
To the editor:
We, the undersigned student senators, as an individual act of conscience, urge our fellow students and faculty members to support the Vietnam Moratorium on Oct. 15, 1969.
In doing so, we recognize that the strength of a democracy lies in the personal commitments of its citizens. Further, we believe that the continuing war in Vietnam and the militarism evident in the United States today is a threat to that principle of democracy.
Therefore, we request that Oct.15 be a day of reflection for KU students, and that students and faculty members respond to the moratorium as their own desires indicate.
To a peaceful future.
David S. Awbrey, Student Body President, Hutchinson senior.
Kathy Hoefer, student senator, Pearson College, Shawnee Mission junior.
David S. Abbrey, Student Body President, Hutchn. on senior.
Kathy Hoefer, student senator, Pearson College, Shawnee Mission junior.
Tan Williams, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and and Sciences, Hong Kong junior.
Gene Dorris, student senator, Graduate School, Stillwater, Okla., graduate student.
Dennis Embry, student senator, Olver College, Great Bend
Gary Coslett, student senator, Pearson College, Danville junior.
R. Hallway, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Atchison, senior.
R. Mark Biddle, student senator, Corbin College, Kansas City, Kan. junior.
Jon Christiansen Suger, student senator, Graduate School, Lawrence, graduate student.
Brian E. Sukli, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Prairie Village senior.
Robert W. Demertit, student senator, Graduate School, Lawrence, graduate student.
Philip W. Weiss, student senator, Graduate School, Philadelphia, Pa., graduate student.
William H. Jacob, student senator, Graduate School, Lake Charles, high school student.
David G. Blahna, student senator, Graduate School, Minneapolis, Minn., graduate student.
Dennis O. Bosley, student senator, College of Liberal Arts
Keith A. Jorgensen, student senator, AURH president.
and Sciences, Hong Kong junior.
Gene Dorris, student senator, Graduate School, Stillwater,
Gene Dorris, student senator, Graduate School, Stillwater,
Okla., graduate student.
Dorris, Olive College, Great Bend
Dennis Embry, student senator, Oliver College, Great Bend Junior.
Gary Coslett, student senator, Pearson College, Danville junior.
R. L. Bailey, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Attickson senior.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Ackleison senior;
R Mark Biddle, student senator, Corbin College, Kansas
Jon Christian Suggs, student senator, Graduate School,
Lawrence graduate student.
Brian E. Sulkis, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Prairie Village senior.
and Sciences, Prairie Village senior Robert W. Demeritt, student senator, Graduate School,
Robert W. Demeritt, student senator, Graduate School,
Lawrence graduate student.
Charles, La., graduate student,
David G. Blahna, student senator, Graduate School, Min-
Lawrence graduate student.
Philip, M. graduate doctor, Graduate School, Philadelphia,
Pa., graduate student.
Davir B. Bliahm, student senator; Graduate School, Minneapolis, Minn.; graduate student
dephina, Fa, graduate student.
Willis H., graduate student. Graduate School, Lake Charles, La, graduate student.
neapons, Minn., graduate student.
Denton, O'Brien College, College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, Delegaton senior.
Keith A. Jorgensen, student senator, AURH president, Shawnee Mission junior.
and Sciences, Dighton senior;
Keith I. Jorgensen, student senator, AURH president,
AIRH president.
Carol A. Leek, student senator, School of Education, Fort Scott senior.
Richard D. Ringstrom, student senator, School of Education, St. Louis, Mo., senior.
Mark Retonde, student senator, Kansas City, Mo., senior.
Shelton Huettig, student senator, Graduate School, 'awrence graduate student.
David Sutherland, student senator, Graduate School, Terre Haute, Ind., graduate student.
Jossey Knuth, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Osawatomie senior.
William Ebert, student senator, Corbin College, Topeka junior.
Gary Bond, student senator, Fine Arts School, Kansas City, Kentucky, senior.
Andy Anderson, student senator, North College, Lawrence sophomore.
Peter George, student senator, College of Arts and Sciences, Thuneboeh, N.Y., first year law student.
Mary George, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. Johnsen.
Carol Scheier, student senator, Centennial College, Leawood sophomore.
Thomas B. Oquison, student senator, Journalism School, Ottawa senior.
Nancy Shorb, student senator, Education School, Liberal senior.
Mark Gorder, student senator, Education School, Highland senior.
Carol Engler, student senator, Pharmacy School, Topeka fifth year student.
William M. Oquison, student senator, Oliver College, Garden City sophomore.
Frank Bangs Jr., student senator, Law School, Wichita third year law student.
Mike Shearer, student senator, School of Journalism, Topeka fifth year student.
Gary Gortenburg, student senator, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kansas City, Mo., senior.
Terry Satterlee, student senator, North College, Prairie Hillville, sophomore.
Colleene Collins, student senator, Fine Arts School, Leavenworth senior.
Ric Averill, student senator, Fine Arts School, Topeka senior.
Karon Baucom, student senator, Corbin College, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore.
Sharon Baucom, student senator, Corbin College, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore.
Steve Holloway, student senator, Engineering School, Shawnee Mission senior.
Harry Goldberg, student senator, School of Engineering, Lawrence senior.
Barb Else, student senator, Parhellenic Association President, Journalists senior.
Barb Blee, student senator, Panhellenic Association President, Infections Bonner Senior school, College Selina luna
Jeff Lough, student senator, Corbin College, Salina junior.
Chuck Oldham, student senator, Hutchinson third-year.
Workin'in D.C. fer Deh Boss
By MIKE SHEARER Arts & Reviews Editor
'Hey, Monkey Wrench, dis here is deh Big Mauler of deh Criminally Inspired Assassination bureau in Washington.
"I's fine, thanks. Youse?
"Great. Listen, Wrench, deh reason I's callin is ta cancel dat last bump-off. Deh boss, he changed his mind and . . .
"What's dat? Oh. house did. huh?"
"No, no. Deh boss won't be gettin mad. I mean deh military is a profession jist like everthin else, ain't it? I mean typists hit deh "X" instead of deh "C" all deh time, don't they?"
"Dat's right. Think of it as a dentist fillin deh wrong cavity. It'd have ta be filled sometime anyway, ya know. Yousefellows done real good. Dis ain't like deh old days when youuse had ta have an excuse fer ever' job. When youuse workin' fer Deh Boss youuse don't have ta answer to nobody. Dis ain't Chicago, 1920. It's D.C., 1699. Wrench. Deh times, they's a changin'
"Is dat Barry Sadler I hears singin in deh background? Great music. Beer-drinkin music, ain't it. Ha, ha, ha."
"Well, youse boys have yerselves a good time. We'll take care a deh loudmouths. Don't step in any buckets of wet cement, ha, ha, ha. Bye."
Compromises not conflict
To the editor:
I was put very ill at ease to read in the Oct. 8 Kansan of the Pueblo-John Birch Society speaker, Lee R. Hayes, who spoke of the declining political stature of this country. He spoke of SDS, draft-card burners, and American supporters of the Viet Cong; also of "our" leaders, who "claim to oppose communism, but whose policies and programs continually strengthen our enemies and weaken us."
He called himself an exposer of conspiracy as a John Birch Society member.
I shudder at the many fine-sounding ideals that are the backbones of many political and social organizations that say of anyone acting against them. "You are out to thwart freedom."
John Birch and SDS shout this phrase at each other while Minutemen and peace marchers reflect it on the street. You see and hear echoes of it in the Ku Klux Klan and Black Panthers, Chicago police force and Democratic convention delegates, hippies and farmers, ad infinitum.
I look at the innocence with which my friends join SDS at KU and can guess at the similar innocence of the rookie John Bircher and I listen to all sides expound in their own vernacular "get good people into our government." Then, I wonder whether John Birch Society or SDS will be uncovered as a tool of communism first.
All of us want to join an organization that talks of goodness and freedom (would we ever join anything else?) Then we decide that anything but our way is wrong and end up fighting like 13 cooks instead of striving for that one thing we all want.
Our country was built on compromise, not conflict. Conflict is quickly becoming a part of the American heritage, which is the very thing anyone we would call "enemy" would want.
It is easy to forget editorial statements, especially those that conflict with our political-social stand. I only hope that one reader, just one, may remember this one, so I might find him in some distant day in a refugee camp, a shelter, or an emergency clinic and we might talk. And I might say, "I said it once, long ago, but I saw it and I said it."
David L. Drong Lawrence freshman
An All-American college newspaper
Published at the University of Kansas daily during the academic year except holidays and examination periods. Mail subscription rates: $6 a semester, $10 a year. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan. 66044. Accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of Kansas or the State Board of Regents.
GRIFF AND THE UNICORN
by DAVE SOKOLOFF
Griff & the Unicorn, Copyright, 1969 University Daily Kansan.